In this review, we’ll get to take an in-depth look at the advantages along with some of the disadvantages of this bike. We’ll try to make it as clear as possible on who we think this bike might be best suited for, and who may be better off at looking some of the alternatives.

In essence, we want to see if it lives up to the hype or if it’s just another low-quality road bike.

Vilano Bikes: Brief Overview

We think it’s important for you to get just a brief overview of what the manufacturer represents, and what they predominately focus on. We believe it’s a fairly good indicator of their potential strengths, and where they would be most likely to create their best products. What this means for you is, better buying choices as you have a better understanding of what type of bike from Vilano Bikes is likely to give you the most value for your hard-earned dollars.

In our experience, we’ve noticed over time that Vilano Bikes predominately focuses on their road bike and fixed gear offerings. Now that’s not to say that their Mountain Bikes, Electric Bikes, and any other type of bikes the offer are by any means bad, it’s just you as the buyer is more likely to get the most value out of those two categories from this particular brand. Also, these two categories are by far their most popular, and for good reason too.

We found that some common strengths of Vilano bikes bicycles are their slightly understated but sharp looks, the prices, and providing quality parts for the most important parts on the bike. Providing the customer essentially all they need to have a fantastic operational bike without the fluff.

Aluminum Road Bike By Vilano Bikes Review

Vilano Bikes Aluminum Road Bike is potentially one of the best-priced road bikes for what it provides to the budget-conscious buyer. It comes equipped with numerous quality parts such as the Shimano A050 Shifters and a Hi-Ten 700c 1 1/8” Threadless Fork (which is more durable than some of its cheaper aluminum counterparts).

It also offers a quality, comfortable ride for daily use and has a relatively solid reputation to boot amongst buyers.

Nonetheless, we’re going to see how it stacks up to some of the competition, but more importantly, see if it's worth your purchasing dollars.

When we tested the bike, we noticed that the bike is much more agile than the generic bikes you can get at Wal-Mart and Target. It feels well designed for its purpose – commuting on a daily basis on the road.

If your daily commute involves some rough roads, you may want to upgrade the tires on the bike as they aren’t made for that purpose. Rough terrains will potentially damage your tires (and undoubtedly will wear them out faster too). It’s not to say that you can’t take rough terrains every once in a while, we just wouldn’t recommend doing it too often if you’d like to preserve it as long as possible.

Speaking of upgrading, this Aluminum Road Bike is extremely customizable to your liking. Every part on the bike can be customized and upgraded, making it another reason why we think it’s so suitable for those just looking to get into road bike riding, or looking for an economical bike.

You can upgrade it as you go, improving the parts to suit your personal preferences. And, upgrades don’t have to be expensive either for example, the Vilano Bikes Aluminum Road Bike comes with non-adjustable brake pads, which not all customers prefer.

So we recommended the following easy, and inexpensive solution - that is to ride down to your local big-box retailer (like Wal-Mart) and pick up some new adjustable brake pads for as low as $5 to $7. We always found that upgrading parts ourselves makes us feel like our bike is a little more personalized to our liking, and gets us more invested and involved in the bike.

That’s not to say that it doesn’t come with quality parts of its own. The shifters and derailleurs are additional strong points of the bike, even though they’re not integrated with the brake levers.

They shift cleanly and reliably, which is what people usually are after in this price range. The shifters included are the Shimano A050 Thumb shifters, and while they shift great the position they’re in on the bike will take some time to get used to.

Another strong point of this bike (which is also subjective) is the looks. The paint job for a bike of this price point is well done, and like we’ve stated before in our Vilano Bikes Overview, looks are definitely one of the strong points of the brand. The bike is understated, professional, and sharp. This Aluminum Road Bike really looks like it's suitable for any situation, and any individual really, regardless of age or gender.

Aluminum Road Bike Colour and Size Options

The bike is currently available in 2 colors and three sizes 50, 54, 58.

Touching on the point of agility once more, it gets its agility from its aluminum construction. For those, if you’re looking to commute on a daily basis, having a lighter Aluminum construction can really help ease the ride (especially if it’s a longer one). Normally the longer you ride, the more you’ll end up feeling the weight difference.

Why this bike might not be for you

While we certainly wanted to showcase the positives and negatives of the bike, we hope we didn’t unrealistically raise your expectations as we still have to remember this is all relative to the price point.

Its biggest advantage also forces some limitations on the bike. While we would not consider these things deal breakers, we still think it's important for you to know them so you can make an informed decision.

Plus, while the bike might be completely customizable, it's not sensible to bike a buy that you’re going to completely overhaul with custom parts quickly. In that scenario, it would probably be best to purchase a slightly higher end model. The customization route is best suited for those looking to upgrade over the long-term.

Conclusion

All in all, the bike is a fantastic starter bike for new riders, novices, or those who are just budget-conscious and don’t want to spend a lot on a bike but still want to have a quality road bike for everyday use.

Alternative Options From Vilano Bikes

For those looking for a bike in the similar price range (and brand) but with a front derailleur and handlebar mounted Shimano A050 SIS shifters (and some other upgrades) we would take a look at the Vilano Bikes TUONO 2.0 Aluminum Road Bike 21 Speed. It currently goes for $289.

If you're in the market for a cheap fixie and want to take a quick look at some cheap fixies in the

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